Conveying system and method for operating the same

ABSTRACT

A conveying unit includes a housing; a collision prevention mechanism disposed on a sidewall of the housing; a gripping member configured to hold a carrier for carrying a semiconductor structure; a sensor disposed on the gripping member and configured to measure and collect data associated with vibration of the gripping member; and an unit controller disposed on the gripping member and configured to analyze the data from the sensor and control a movement of the conveying unit.

PRIORITY CLAIM AND CROSS REFERENCE

This application is a continuation application of a U.S. patentapplication entitled CONVEYING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME,Ser. No. 16/425,305, filed May 29, 2019.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor industry has experienced exponential growth, andintegrated circuits (ICs) are used in a wide variety of applications.ICs are typically manufactured by automated or semi-automatedequipments. Workpieces, such as substrates or wafers, are loaded intothe equipment, and then several electrical components and circuitriesare fabricated over or within the workpieces through numerousmanufacturing operations.

Automated Material Handling Systems (AMHS) have been widely used insemiconductor fabrication to automatically handle and transport groupsof the workpieces between various processing equipments. There arenumerous types of automated vehicles (such as automatic guided vehicle(AGV), rail guided vehicle (RGV), overhead hoist transport (OHT), etc.)for moving and transporting carriers (such as front opening unified pods(FOUPs)) carrying the workpieces during fabrication. For example, an OHTsystem automatically moves OHT vehicles carrying the workpieces from aload port of one processing equipment to a load port of anotherprocessing equipment.

There is a continuous need to modify the manufacturing operations andimprove an efficiency of transport of the workpieces between theprocessing equipments, such as maximize or increase a throughput rateand output rate of the workpieces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isemphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in theindustry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, thedimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased orreduced for clarity of discussion.

FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a conveying unit in a retractedstatus in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic isometric view of a conveying unit in an extendedstatus in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method of operating a first conveyingsystem in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4-5 are schematic views of operating the first conveying system bya method of FIG. 3 in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method of operating a second conveyingsystem in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of operating the second conveying system by amethod of FIG. 6 in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a method of operating a third conveyingsystem in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 9-12 are schematic views of operating the third conveying systemby a method of FIG. 8 in accordance with some embodiments of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the provided subjectmatter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are describedbelow to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formationof a first feature over or on a second feature in the description thatfollows may include embodiments in which the first and second featuresare formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in whichadditional features may be formed between the first and second features,such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

A conveying system is involved during semiconductor fabrication. Theconveying system includes a conveying unit configured to travel along arail and carry a semiconductor structure from one processing machine toanother. The conveying unit may experience vibration during travellingalong the rail. For example, the conveying unit may be severelyoscillated upon travelling along a section of the rail configured in Ushape, or there is a sudden change of travelling direction due toconfiguration of the rail. Such vibration may cause delamination ofcomponents from the semiconductor structure, particles or chippings inthe carrier falling on the semiconductor structure, etc. The particlesmay contaminate or even damage the semiconductor structure. As a result,a reliability of the semiconductor structure may be adversely affected.

In the present disclosure, a method of operating a conveying system isdisclosed. The method includes providing a rail, a first conveying unitmovably mounted on the rail, and a central controller configured tocontrol the first conveying unit; displacing the first conveying unitalong the rail at a first speed; obtaining a first vibration measurementupon the displacement of the first conveying unit along the rail at thefirst speed; analyzing the first vibration measurement; transmitting afirst signal based on the analysis of the first vibration measurementfrom the first conveying unit to the central controller; providing asecond conveying unit movably mounted on the rail; transmitting a firstfeedback signal based on the first signal from the central controller tothe second conveying unit; and displacing the second conveying unitalong the rail at a second speed based on the first feedback signal.

The second (succeeding) conveying unit travels along the rail at a speedbased on an analysis of vibration experienced by the first (previous)conveying unit upon travelling along the rail. As such, vibrationexperienced by the second conveying unit upon the travelling along therail at the speed would be mitigated compared with the vibration of thefirst conveying unit. Therefore, particles falling on a semiconductorstructure carried by the conveying unit upon travelling are minimized.Contamination and damages of the semiconductor structure are reduced orprevented.

Further, another method of operating a conveying system is disclosed.The method includes providing a rail including a first section and asecond section, a conveying unit movably mounted on the rail andconfigured to displace along the first section at a first predeterminedspeed and along the second section at a second predetermined speed, anda central controller configured to control the conveying unit; derivinga first speed by the central controller based on parameters associatedwith the conveying unit; displacing the conveying unit along the firstsection of the rail at the first speed; deriving a second speed by thecentral controller based on the parameters; and displacing the conveyingunit along the second section of the rail at the second speed, whereinthe first speed is derived by increasing or decreasing the firstpredetermined speed, and the second speed is derived by increasing ordecreasing the second predetermined speed.

The conveying unit can travel at an adjusted speed instead of thepredetermined speed. The adjusted speed is derived based on theparameters associated with the conveying unit (such as total weight ofthe conveying unit, a lot size of semiconductor structures inside theconveying unit, etc.). As such, different conveying units would havedifferent speed adjustments and thus would travel at different speedsalong the same section of the rail. Therefore, the conveying unit cantravel along a section of the rail at an optimized speed instead of afixed predetermined speed, while vibration of the conveying unittravelling along the section of the rail is minimized or less than apredetermined vibration threshold.

Further, a conveying unit is disclosed. The conveying unit is operableby the conveying system, The conveying unit includes a housing; acollision prevention mechanism disposed on a sidewall of the housing; agripping member configured to hold a carrier for carrying asemiconductor structure; a sensor disposed on the gripping member andconfigured to measure and collect data associated with vibration of thegripping member; and an unit controller disposed on the gripping memberand configured to analyze the data from the sensor and control amovement of the conveying unit. Therefore, the travelling speed of theconveying unit along the rail can be adjusted based on vibrationmeasured by the sensor and analysis result from the unit controller.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conveying unit 100 in accordance withvarious embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, theconveying unit 100 includes a housing 101, a collision preventionmechanism 102, a gripping member 103, a sensor 104 and an unitcontroller 105. In some embodiments, the conveying unit 100 isconfigured to travel along a rail 110. In some embodiments, theconveying unit 100 is configured to carry and transport a semiconductorstructure 111 from a location to another location. In some embodiments,the conveying unit 100 is an overhead hoist transport (OHT) vehicle. Insome embodiments, the conveying unit 100 is hung under the rail 110.

In some embodiments, the conveying unit 100 is movably mounted to therail 110. In some embodiments, the conveying unit 100 is configured tocomplement and cooperate with the rail 110 for moving laterally orhorizontally along the rail 110. In some embodiments, the conveying unit100 includes a travelling mechanism 112 configured to moveably mount thehousing 101 to the rail 110. In some embodiments, the travellingmechanism 112 is installed between the housing 101 and the rail 110. Insome embodiments, the travelling mechanism 112 includes a motor (notshown in figures) and a wheel 112 a movably engaged with the rail 110.The conveying unit 100 travels laterally upon rotation of the wheel 112a. In some embodiments, the motor is configured to actuate the wheel 112a such that the wheel 112 a can be rotated and the conveying unit 100can travel laterally along the rail 110.

In some embodiments, the housing 101 of the conveying unit 100 is arigid frame surrounding several components such as the gripping member103, the sensor 104 and the unit controller 105. In some embodiments,the housing 101 includes a chamber 101 a and an opening 101 b foraccessing the chamber 101 a. In some embodiments, the gripping member103, the sensor 104 and the unit controller 105 are disposed within thechamber 101 a and are accessible through the opening 101 b.

In some embodiments, the collision prevention mechanism 102 is disposedon a sidewall of the housing 101. In some embodiments, the collisionprevention mechanism 102 is configured to prevent collision of theconveying unit 100 with another conveying unit 100 upon travelling andprevent damages on the conveying unit 100. In some embodiments, thecollision prevention mechanism 102 can prevent the conveying unit 100from physical contact with another conveying unit.

In some embodiments, the collision prevention mechanism 102 includes amagnet configured to repel with another magnet disposed on anotherconveying unit, such that the conveying unit 100 repels anotherconveying unit when another conveying unit is approaching. In someembodiments, the collision prevention mechanism 102 includes a shockabsorber configured to absorb a force exerted on the conveying unit byanother conveying unit upon collision.

In some embodiments, the gripping member 103 is configured to hold acarrier 113 for carrying the semiconductor structure 111. In someembodiments, the gripping member 103 securely holds the carrier 113 totransport the semiconductor structure 111 along the rail 110 from alocation to another. In some embodiments, a bar 103 a is attached to thegripping member 103 and is extendable to bring the gripping member 103out of the housing 101 and retractable to bring the gripping member 103back to the housing 101. In some embodiments, the bar 103 a istelescopically extendable and retractable.

In some embodiments, the gripping member 103 is configured to hold andrelease the carrier 113 such as FOUP, standard mechanical interface(SMIF) pods, etc. In some embodiments, the carrier 113 is configured tohold several semiconductor structures 111. In some embodiments, thesemiconductor structure 111 is a substrate, a wafer, a package or thelike. In some embodiments, the semiconductor structure 111 includessemiconductive materials such as silicon or other suitable materials. Insome embodiments, the semiconductor structure 111 includes circuitriesor electrical components disposed thereon. In some embodiments, a lot ora group of semiconductor structures 111 are disposed inside the carrier113 to isolate from the surroundings and contamination.

In some embodiments, the conveying unit 100 securely holds the carrier113 inside the housing 101 by extending the bar 103 a out of the housing101, gripping a top portion of the carrier 113 by the gripping member103, and then retracting the bar 103 a to lift up the carrier 113 andthe gripping member 103 back to the housing 101. In some embodiments,the conveying unit 100 releases the carrier 113 by extending the bar 103a out of the housing 101, opening the gripping member 103 to release thecarrier 113, and then retracting the bar 103 a to lift up the grippingmember 103 back to the housing 101. In some embodiments, the bar 103 ais in a retracted status (as shown in FIG. 1), and the gripping member103 and the carrier 113 are disposed inside the housing 101 uponmovement of the conveying unit 100 along the rail 110.

In some embodiments, the sensor 104 is disposed on the gripping member103 and configured to collect data associated with vibration of thegripping member 103. In some embodiments, the sensor 104 is disposedinside the housing 101. In some embodiments, the sensor 104 is disposedinside the housing 101 when the bar 103 a is in the retracted status,while the sensor 104 is disposed out of the housing 101 when the bar 103a is in the extended status (as shown in FIG. 2). In some embodiments,the sensor 104 is disposed within the chamber 101 a of the housing 101and inside the housing 101 upon the movement of the conveying unit 100along the rail 110.

In some embodiments, the sensor 104 is attached to and contacts thegripping member 103. In some embodiments, the sensor 104 is configuredto sense and measure the vibration of the gripping member 103 when theconveying unit 100 is travelled along the rail 110. In some embodiments,the vibration measured by the sensor 104 is the vibration of thegripping member 103. Since the sensor 104 is attached to the grippingmember 103 close to the carrier 113 and the semiconductor structure 111,the vibration measured by the sensor 104 is substantially the same asthe vibration experienced by the carrier 113 or vibration experienced bythe semiconductor structure 111 in the carrier 113. In other words, thesensor 104 is configured to measure the vibration of the carrier 113 orthe vibration of the semiconductor structure 111. The vibrationexperienced by the carrier 113 or the semiconductor structure 111 can beaccurately measured.

In some embodiments, the sensor 104 measures and records the vibrationof the gripping member 103 upon displacement of the conveying unit 100along the rail 110. In some embodiments, magnitudes and frequencies ofthe vibration of the gripping member 103 upon displacement of theconveying unit 100 along the rail 110 are recorded for subsequentanalysis. In some embodiments, the sensor 104 is a vibration sensor ormeter.

In some embodiments, the unit controller 105 is disposed on the grippingmember 103. In some embodiments, the unit controller 105 is disposedadjacent to the sensor 104. In some embodiments, the unit controller 105is configured to analyze the data associated with the vibration of thegripping member 103 from the sensor 104. In some embodiments, the dataassociated with the vibration of the gripping member 103 is transmittedto the unit controller 105. In some embodiments, the unit controller 105is wirelessly communicable with the sensor 104. In some embodiments, theunit controller 105 is electrically connected to the sensor 104 by awire. In some embodiments, the unit controller 105 can analyze the datafrom the sensor 104 and derive several results, such as a maximum orminimum of the vibration, from the data.

In some embodiments, the unit controller 105 is configured to transmitthe results to another controller. In some embodiments, the unitcontroller 105 is configured to receive a signal from anothercontroller. In some embodiments, the unit controller 105 is configuredto control the movement of the conveying unit 100. For example, themovement of the conveying unit 100 can be adjusted when the unitcontroller 105 receives a signal from another controller. In someembodiments, the unit controller 105 is a microcontroller,microprocessor or machine control unit (MCU) module.

The sensor 104 is installed on the gripping member 103 for sensing andmeasuring the vibration experienced by the gripping member 103, thecarrier 113 or the semiconductor structure 111. As such, a speed of theconveying unit 100 travelling along the rail 110 can be adjusted basedon the vibration sensed and measured by the sensor 104. For example, ifthe vibration is severe and is greater than an acceptable level or apredetermined threshold, the speed of the conveying unit 100 would bedecreased or adjusted until the vibration is less than or equal to thepredetermined threshold. Therefore, the vibration is minimized or in theacceptable level. As such, particles or contaminates falling on thesemiconductor structure 111 from the carrier 113 due to the vibrationcan be minimized or prevented. As a result, quality of the semiconductorstructure 111 would not be adversely affected.

In the present disclosure, a method of operating a conveying system isdisclosed. A method 200 includes a number of operations and thedescription and illustration are not deemed as a limitation as thesequence of the operations. FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the method 200 ofoperating a first conveying system 300. The method 200 includes a numberof operations (201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207 and 208).

In operation 201, a rail 110, a first conveying unit 100-1 and a centralcontroller 106 are provided as shown in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, thefirst conveying system 300 includes the rail 110, the first conveyingunit 100-1 hung under the rail 110 and the central controller 106. Insome embodiments, the rail 110 and the first conveying unit 100-1 are inconfigurations as described above or shown in FIGS. 1-2. In someembodiments, the first conveying unit 100-1 is movably mounted on therail 110. In some embodiments, the first conveying unit 100-1 includes afirst housing 101-1, a first gripping member 103-1 disposed inside thefirst housing 101-1, a first sensor 104-1 disposed on the first grippingmember 103-1, and a first unit controller 105-1 disposed on the firstgripping member 103-1, which are in configurations as described above orshown in FIGS. 1-2.

In some embodiments, the central controller 106 is configured to receivea signal from the first unit controller 105-1 of the first conveyingunit 100-1, transmit a feedback signal to the first unit controller105-1, and control movement of the first conveying unit 100-1. In someembodiments, the central controller 106 is wirelessly communicable withthe first unit controller 105-1. In some embodiments, the centralcontroller 106 is an OHT controller.

In operation 202, the first conveying unit 100-1 is displaced along therail 110 at a first speed. In some embodiments, the first conveying unit100-1 is moved laterally along the rail 110 at the first speed. In someembodiments, the first speed is a predetermined speed for the firstconveying unit 100-1 travelling along the rail 110. In some embodiments,the predetermined speed is derived only based on factors (such as aconfiguration or shape of the rail 110, etc.) unrelated to parametersassociated with the first conveying unit 100-1. In some embodiments, thefirst speed is derived based on the predetermined speed and factors(such as a weight of the first semiconductor structures 111-1 in thefirst carrier 113-1, etc.) related to the parameters associated with thefirst conveying unit 100-1. In some embodiments, a vibration isexperienced by the first conveying unit 100-1 upon displacement alongthe rail 110 at the first speed.

In operation 203, a first vibration measurement is obtained by the firstsensor 104-1 upon the displacement of the first conveying unit 100-1along the rail 110 at the first speed. In some embodiments, the firstvibration measurement includes several vibration measurements measuredby the first sensor 104-1 during a predetermined duration of thedisplacement. For example, several vibration measurements are obtainedby measuring the vibration of the first conveying unit 100-1 everysecond upon the displacement of the first conveying unit 100-1 along therail 110 at the first speed.

In some embodiments, each vibration measurement includes parameters suchas magnitude or frequency of the vibration. In some embodiments, thefirst vibration measurement is vibration experienced by the firstgripping member 103-1, the first carrier 113-1 or the firstsemiconductor structure 111-1. In some embodiments, the first vibrationmeasurement including several vibration measurements is collected andrecorded by the first sensor 104-1.

In operation 204, the first vibration measurement is analyzed by thefirst unit controller 105-1. In some embodiments, the first vibrationmeasurement is transmitted from the first sensor 104-1 to the first unitcontroller 105-1 for vibration analysis. In some embodiments, the firstvibration measurement is wirelessly transmitted from the first sensor104-1 to the first unit controller 105-1. In some embodiments, the firstsensor 104-1 is electrically connected to the first unit controller105-1 by a wire, and the first vibration measurement is transmitted fromthe first sensor 104-1 to the first unit controller 105-1 through thewire. In some embodiments, several results (such as a maximum or minimumamong the first vibration measurement, a position of the rail where themaximum or minimum vibration occurred, etc.) are derived by the firstunit controller 105-1 after the analysis of the first vibrationmeasurement.

In operation 205, a first signal based on the analysis of the firstvibration measurement is transmitted from the first unit controller105-1 to the central controller 106. In some embodiments, the firstsignal is generated based on the analysis of the first vibrationmeasurement, and then transmitted to the central controller 106. In someembodiments, the first signal is wirelessly transmitted from the firstunit controller 105-1 to the central controller 106.

In operation 206, a second conveying unit 100-2 is provided as shown inFIG. 5. In some embodiments, the second conveying unit 100-2 is inconfiguration similar to the first conveying unit 100-1 described aboveor shown in FIGS. 1-2. In some embodiments, parameters associated withthe first conveying unit 100-1 are different from parameters associatedwith the second conveying unit 100-2. For example, a weight of the firstconveying unit 100-1 is substantially different from a weight of thesecond conveying unit 100-2, or a lot size of the first semiconductorstructures 111-1 is substantially different from a lot size of thesecond semiconductor structures 111-2.

In some embodiments, the second conveying unit 100-2 is movably mountedon the rail 110. In some embodiments, the second conveying unit 100-2includes a second housing 101-2, a second gripping member 103-2 disposedinside the second housing 101-2, a second sensor 104-2 disposed on thesecond gripping member 103-2, and a second unit controller 105-2disposed on the second gripping member 103-2, which are inconfigurations similar to the first housing 101-1, the first grippingmember 103-1, the first sensor 104-1 and the first unit controller 105-1respectively described above or shown in FIGS. 1-2.

In operation 207, a first feedback signal based on the first signal istransmitted from the central controller 106 to the second unitcontroller 105-2. In some embodiments, the first feedback signal isgenerated based on the first signal from the first sensor 104-1, andthen transmitted to the second unit controller 105-2 of the secondconveying unit 100-2. In some embodiments, the first feedback signal iswirelessly transmitted from the central controller 106 to the secondunit controller 105-2.

In some embodiments, the first signal is analyzed by the centralcontroller 106, and then the first feedback signal is generated by thecentral controller 106 after the analysis. In some embodiments, theparameters associated with the second conveying unit 100-2 (such as aweight of the second semiconductor structures 111-2 in the secondcarrier 113-2, etc.) and a predetermined speed for the second conveyingunit 100-2 travelling along the rail 110 are considered upon theanalysis by the central controller 106.

In operation 208, the second conveying unit 100-2 is displaced along therail 110 at a second speed based on the first feedback signal. In someembodiments, the second conveying unit 100-2 is moved laterally alongthe rail 110 at the second speed. In some embodiments, the second speedis derived based on the analysis of the first vibration measurement andthe parameters associated with the second conveying unit 100-2, etc. Insome embodiments, the second speed is derived by adjusting apredetermined speed for the second conveying unit 100-2 travelling alongthe rail 110 based on the analysis of the first vibration measurementand the parameters associated with the second conveying unit 100-2.

In some embodiments, the first speed is substantially different from thesecond speed. In other words, the first conveying unit 100-1 and thesecond conveying unit 100-2 may travel at different speed along the samerail 110.

In some embodiments, the second speed is substantially less than thefirst speed if the first vibration measurement is substantially greaterthan a predetermined vibration threshold. For example, if the vibrationexperienced by the first conveying unit 100-1 is substantially greaterthan the predetermined vibration threshold, the second speed is derivedby decreasing the first speed or decreasing the predetermined speed forthe second conveying unit 100-2 travelling along the rail 110. In otherwords, the second conveying unit 100-2 is decelerated compared with thedisplacement of the first conveying unit 100-1.

In some embodiments, the second speed is substantially greater than thefirst speed if the first vibration measurement is substantially lessthan a predetermined vibration threshold. For example, if the vibrationexperienced by the first conveying unit 100-1 is substantially less thanthe predetermined vibration threshold, the second speed is derived byincreasing the first speed or increasing the predetermined speed for thesecond conveying unit 100-2 travelling along the rail 110. In otherwords, the second conveying unit 100-2 is accelerated compared with thedisplacement of the first conveying unit 100-1.

In the present disclosure, another method of operating a conveyingsystem is disclosed. A method 400 includes a number of operations andthe description and illustration are not deemed as a limitation as thesequence of the operations. FIG. 6 is an embodiment of the method 400 ofoperating a second conveying system 500. The method 400 includes anumber of operations (401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 410,411, 412, 413 and 414). The operations 401-408 are implemented in a waysame as the operations 201-208 respectively, and therefore are notdescribed again.

In operation 409, a second vibration measurement is obtained by thesecond sensor 104-2 of the second conveying unit 100-2 upon thedisplacement of the second conveying unit 100-2 along the rail 110 atthe second speed. In some embodiments, the second vibration measurementincludes several vibration measurements measured by the second sensor104-2 during a predetermined duration of the displacement. For example,several vibration measurements are obtained by measuring the vibrationof the second conveying unit 100-2 every second upon the displacement ofthe second conveying unit 100-2 along the rail 110 at the second speed.

In some embodiments, each vibration measurement includes parameters suchas magnitude or frequency of the vibration. In some embodiments, thesecond vibration measurement is vibration experienced by the secondgripping member 103-2, the second carrier 113-2 or the secondsemiconductor structure 111-2. In some embodiments, the second vibrationmeasurement including several vibration measurements is collected andrecorded by the second sensor 104-2. In some embodiments, the operation409 is similar to the operation 403.

In some embodiments, the second vibration measurement is substantiallyless than or equal to the first vibration measurement. In someembodiments, the second vibration measurement is substantially less thanor equal to the first vibration measurement and the predeterminedvibration threshold. Since the second conveying unit 100-2 is displacedat the second speed which is derived based on the analysis of the firstvibration measurement of the first conveying unit 100-1 (the operation408), the vibration experienced by the second conveying unit 100-2 uponthe displacement at the second speed shall be less than the vibrationexperienced by the first conveying unit 100-1 upon the displacement atthe first speed.

In operation 410, the second vibration measurement is analyzed by thesecond unit controller 105-2. In some embodiments, the second vibrationmeasurement is transmitted from the second sensor 104-2 to the secondunit controller 105-2 for vibration analysis. In some embodiments, thesecond vibration measurement is wirelessly transmitted from the secondsensor 104-2 to the second unit controller 105-2. In some embodiments,several results (such as a maximum or minimum among the second vibrationmeasurement, a position of the rail where the maximum or minimumvibration occurred, etc.) are derived by the second unit controller105-2 after the analysis of the second vibration measurement. In someembodiments, the operation 410 is similar to the operation 404.

In operation 411, a second signal based on the analysis of the secondvibration measurement is transmitted from the second unit controller105-2 to the central controller 106. In some embodiments, the secondsignal is generated based on the analysis of the second vibrationmeasurement, and then transmitted to the central controller 106. In someembodiments, the second signal is wirelessly transmitted from the secondunit controller 105-2 to the central controller 106. In someembodiments, the operation 411 is similar to the operation 405.

In operation 412, a third conveying unit 100-3 is provided as shown inFIG. 7. In some embodiments, the third conveying unit 100-3 is inconfiguration similar to the first conveying unit 100-1 and the secondconveying unit 100-2 described above or shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5. Insome embodiments, parameters associated with the third conveying unit100-3 are different from parameters associated with the first conveyingunit 100-1 or the second conveying unit 100-2. For example, a weight ofthe first conveying unit 100-1, a weight of the second conveying unit100-2 and a weight of the third conveying unit are different from eachother. In some embodiments, the first conveying unit 100-1, the secondconveying unit 100-2 and the third conveying unit 100-3 are in sameconfiguration. For example, a weight of the first conveying unit 100-1,a weight of the second conveying unit 100-2 and a weight of the thirdconveying unit are same as each other.

In some embodiments, the third conveying unit 100-3 is movably mountedon the rail 110. In some embodiments, the third conveying unit 100-3includes a third housing 101-3, a third gripping member 103-3 disposedinside the third housing 101-3, a third sensor 104-3 disposed on thethird gripping member 103-3, and a third unit controller 105-3 disposedon the third gripping member 103-3, which are in configurations similarto the first housing 101-1, the first gripping member 103-1, the firstsensor 104-1 and the first unit controller 105-1 respectively describedabove or shown in FIGS. 1-2.

In operation 413, a second feedback signal based on the second signal istransmitted from the central controller 106 to the third unit controller105-3. In some embodiments, the second feedback signal is generatedbased on the second signal from the second sensor 104-2, and thentransmitted to the third unit controller 105-3 of the third conveyingunit 100-3. In some embodiments, the second feedback signal iswirelessly transmitted from the central controller 106 to the third unitcontroller 105-3.

In some embodiments, the second signal is analyzed by the centralcontroller 106, and then the second feedback signal is generated by thecentral controller 106 after the analysis. In some embodiments, theparameters associated with the third conveying unit 100-3 (such as aweight of the third semiconductor structures 111-3 in the third carrier113-3, etc.) and a predetermined speed for the third conveying unit100-3 travelling along the rail 110 are considered upon the analysis bythe central controller 106. In some embodiments, the operation 413 issimilar to the operation 407.

In operation 414, the third conveying unit 100-3 is displaced along therail 110 at the second speed or a third speed based on the secondfeedback signal. In some embodiments, the third conveying unit 100-3 ismoved laterally along the rail 110 at the second speed or the thirdspeed.

In some embodiments, the third conveying unit 100-3 is displaced at thesecond speed. If the third conveying unit 100-3 is in same configurationas the second conveying unit 100-2 (such as the weight of the thirdconveying unit 100-3 is same as the weight of the second conveying unit100-2, etc.) and the vibration experienced by the second conveying unit100-2 upon the displacement at the second speed is minimized or issubstantially less than the predetermined vibration threshold, thevibration experienced by the third conveying unit 100-3 upon thedisplacement at the second speed shall also be minimized or issubstantially less than the predetermined vibration threshold.

In some embodiments, the third conveying unit 100-3 is displaced at thethird speed if the third conveying unit 100-3 is in differentconfiguration from the second conveying unit 100-2 (such as the weightof the third conveying unit 100-3 is different from the weight of thesecond conveying unit 100-2, etc.) or the second vibration measurementis substantially greater than the predetermined vibration threshold. Insome embodiments, the third speed is substantially different from thesecond speed. In other words, the second conveying unit 100-2 and thethird conveying unit 100-3 may travel at different speed along the samerail 110. In some embodiments, the third speed is derived based on theanalysis of the second vibration measurement and the parametersassociated with the third conveying unit 100-3, etc. In someembodiments, the third speed is derived by adjusting the second speedbased on the analysis of the second vibration measurement and theparameters associated with the third conveying unit 100-3.

In some embodiments, the third speed is substantially less than thesecond speed if the second vibration measurement is substantiallygreater than a predetermined vibration threshold. For example, if thevibration experienced by the second conveying unit 100-2 issubstantially greater than the predetermined vibration threshold, thethird speed is derived by decreasing the second speed. In other words,the third conveying unit 100-3 is decelerated compared with thedisplacement of the second conveying unit 100-2.

In some embodiments, the third speed is substantially greater than thesecond speed if the second vibration measurement is substantially lessthan a predetermined vibration threshold. For example, if the vibrationexperienced by the second conveying unit 100-2 is substantially lessthan the predetermined vibration threshold, the third speed is derivedby increasing the second speed. In other words, the third conveying unit100-3 is accelerated compared with the displacement of the secondconveying unit 100-2.

In some embodiments, after the third speed is derived, a third vibrationmeasurement is obtained by the third sensor 104-3 of the third conveyingunit 100-3 upon the displacement of the third conveying unit 100-3 alongthe rail 110 at the third speed. In some embodiments, the thirdvibration measurement is collected and recorded by the third sensor104-3. In some embodiments, the vibration experienced by the thirdconveying unit 100-3 upon the displacement at the third speed shall alsobe minimized or is substantially less than the predetermined vibrationthreshold. In some embodiments, the third vibration measurement issubstantially less than or equal to the second vibration measurement andthe first vibration measurement.

In the present disclosure, another method of operating a conveyingsystem is disclosed. A method 600 includes a number of operations andthe description and illustration are not deemed as a limitation as thesequence of the operations. FIG. 8 is an embodiment of the method 600 ofoperating a third conveying system 700. The method 600 includes a numberof operations (601, 602, 603, 604 and 605).

In operation 601, a rail 110, a first conveying unit 100-1 and a centralcontroller 106 are provided as shown in FIG. 9. In some embodiments, thethird conveying system 700 includes the rail 110 including a firstsection 110 a and a second section 110 b, the first conveying unit 100-1movably mounted on the rail 110 and configured to displace along thefirst section 110 a at a first predetermined speed and along the secondsection 110 b at a second predetermined speed, and the centralcontroller 106 configured to control the first conveying unit 100-1.

In some embodiments, the first section 110 a and the second section 110b of the rail 110 are in different configurations or shapes. In someembodiments, a top cross section of the first section 110 a and a topcross section of the second section 110 b are in different shapes. Insome embodiments, the top cross section of the first section 110 a andthe top cross section of the second section 110 b are respectively in astrip shape, U shape, N shape, Y shape, etc. In some embodiments, thefirst conveying unit 100-1 is configured to displace at differentpredetermined speeds along different sections of the rail 110.

In some embodiments, the first conveying unit 100-1 is in configurationas described above or shown in FIGS. 1-2. In some embodiments, the firstconveying unit 100-1 is movably mounted on the rail 110. In someembodiments, the first conveying unit 100-1 includes a first housing101-1, a first gripping member 103-1 disposed inside the first housing101-1, a first sensor 104-1 disposed on the first gripping member 103-1,and a first unit controller 105-1 disposed on the first gripping member103-1, which are in configurations as described above or shown in FIGS.1-2.

In some embodiments, the central controller 106 is configured to receivea signal from the first unit controller 105-1 of the first conveyingunit 100-1, transmit a feedback signal to the first unit controller105-1, and control movement of the first conveying unit 100-1. In someembodiments, the central controller 106 is wirelessly communicable withthe first unit controller 105-1.

In operation 602, a first speed is derived by the central controllerbased on several parameters associated with the first conveying unit100-1. In some embodiments, the first speed is derived by the centralcontroller 106 based on the first predetermined speed, the parametersassociated with the first conveying unit 100-1 (such as a weight of thefirst semiconductor structures 111-1 in the first carrier 113-1, etc.),the shape of the first section 110 a of the rail 110, vibrationmeasurements obtained upon displacement of other previous conveyingunits along the first section 110 a, etc. In some embodiments, the firstpredetermined speed is adjusted to the first speed. In some embodiments,the first speed is derived by increasing or decreasing the firstpredetermined speed.

In operation 603, the first conveying unit 100-1 is displaced along thefirst section 110 a of the rail 110 at the first speed. The firstconveying unit 100-1 is displaced at the first speed instead of thefirst predetermined speed. In some embodiments, a first vibrationmeasurement is obtained by the first sensor 104-1 upon the displacementof the first conveying unit 100-1 along the first section 110 a of therail 110 at the first speed. In some embodiments, the first vibrationmeasurement is substantially less than or equal to a predeterminedvibration threshold. In some embodiments, the first vibrationmeasurement is collected and recorded by the first sensor 104-1.

In operation 604, a second speed is derived by the central controllerbased on the parameters associated with the first conveying unit 100-1.In some embodiments, the second speed is derived by the centralcontroller based on the second predetermined speed, the parametersassociated with the first conveying unit 100-1, the shape of the secondsection 110 b of the rail 110, vibration measurements obtained upondisplacement of other previous conveying units along the second section110 b, etc. In some embodiments, the second predetermined speed isadjusted to the second speed. In some embodiments, the second speed isderived by increasing or decreasing the second predetermined speed.

In operation 605, the first conveying unit 100-1 is displaced along thesecond section 110 b of the rail 110 at the second speed as shown inFIG. 10. The first conveying unit 100-1 is displaced at the second speedinstead of the second predetermined speed. In some embodiments, a secondvibration measurement is obtained by the first sensor 104-1 upon thedisplacement of the first conveying unit 100-1 along the second section110 b of the rail 110 at the second speed. In some embodiments, thesecond vibration measurement is substantially less than or equal to thepredetermined vibration threshold. In some embodiments, the secondvibration measurement is collected and recorded by the first sensor104-1.

In some embodiments, a second conveying unit 100-2 is further providedas shown in FIG. 11. In some embodiments, the second conveying unit100-2 is movably mounted on the rail 110 and configured to displacealong the first section 110 a at the first predetermined speed and alongthe second section 110 b at the second predetermined speed. In someembodiments, the second conveying unit 100-2 is in configuration similarto the first conveying unit 100-1. In some embodiments, the centralcontroller 106 is configured to control the second conveying unit 100-2.

In some embodiments, a third speed is derived by the central controller106 based on several parameters associated with the second conveyingunit 100-2. In some embodiments, the third speed is derived by thecentral controller based on the first predetermined speed, theparameters associated with the second conveying unit 100-2 (such as aweight of the second semiconductor structures 111-2 in the secondcarrier 113-2, etc.), the shape of the first section 110 a of the rail110, vibration measurements obtained upon displacement of other previousconveying units along the first section 110 a, etc. In some embodiments,the first predetermined speed is adjusted to the third speed. In someembodiments, the third speed is substantially different from the firstspeed. In some embodiments, the third speed is derived by increasing ordecreasing the first predetermined speed.

In some embodiments, the second conveying unit 100-2 is displaced alongthe first section 110 a of the rail 110 at the third speed. The secondconveying unit 100-2 is displaced at the third speed instead of thefirst predetermined speed. In some embodiments, a third vibrationmeasurement is obtained by the second sensor 104-2 upon the displacementof the second conveying unit 100-2 along the first section 110 a of therail 110 at the third speed. In some embodiments, the third vibrationmeasurement of the second conveying unit 100-2 is substantially lessthan or equal to the predetermined vibration threshold. In someembodiments, the third vibration measurement is collected and recordedby the second sensor 104-2.

In some embodiments, a fourth speed is derived by the central controller106 based on several parameters associated with the second conveyingunit 100-2. In some embodiments, the fourth speed is derived by thecentral controller based on the second predetermined speed, theparameters associated with the second conveying unit 100-2 (such as aweight of the second semiconductor structures 111-2 in the secondcarrier 113-2, etc.), the shape of the second section 110 b of the rail110, the second vibration measurement, vibration measurements obtainedupon displacement of other previous conveying units along the secondsection 110 b, etc. In some embodiments, the second predetermined speedis adjusted to the fourth speed. In some embodiments, the fourth speedis substantially different from the second speed. In some embodiments,the fourth speed is derived by increasing or decreasing the secondpredetermined speed.

In some embodiments as shown in FIG. 12, the second conveying unit 100-2is displaced along the second section 110 b of the rail 110 at thefourth speed. The second conveying unit 100-2 is displaced at the fourthspeed instead of the second predetermined speed. In some embodiments, afourth vibration measurement is obtained by the second sensor 104-2 uponthe displacement of the second conveying unit 100-2 along the secondsection 110 b of the rail 110 at the fourth speed. In some embodiments,the fourth vibration measurement of the second conveying unit 100-2 issubstantially less than or equal to the predetermined vibrationthreshold. In some embodiments, the fourth vibration measurement iscollected and recorded by the second sensor 104-2.

In the present disclosure, a method is disclosed. The method includesproviding a rail, a first conveying unit movably mounted on the rail,and a central controller configured to control the first conveying unit,wherein the first conveying unit includes a first housing, a firstgripping member disposed inside the first housing, a first sensordisposed on the first gripping member, and a first unit controllerdisposed on the first gripping member; displacing the first conveyingunit along the rail at a first speed; obtaining a first vibrationmeasurement by the first sensor upon the displacement of the firstconveying unit along the rail at the first speed; analyzing the firstvibration measurement by the first unit controller; transmitting a firstsignal based on the analysis of the first vibration measurement from thefirst unit controller to the central controller; providing a secondconveying unit movably mounted on the rail, wherein the second conveyingunit includes a second housing, a second gripping member disposed insidethe second housing, a second sensor disposed on the second grippingmember and a second unit controller disposed on the second grippingmember; transmitting a first feedback signal based on the first signalfrom the central controller to the second unit controller; anddisplacing the second conveying unit along the rail at a second speedbased on the first feedback signal.

In some embodiments, the first vibration measurement is substantiallygreater than a predetermined vibration threshold, and the second speedis substantially less than the first speed. In some embodiments, thefirst vibration measurement is substantially less than a predeterminedvibration threshold, and the second speed is substantially greater thanthe first speed. In some embodiments, the first signal is wirelesslytransmitted from the first unit controller to the central controller,and the first feedback signal is wirelessly transmitted from the centralcontroller to the second unit controller.

In some embodiments, the method further includes obtaining a secondvibration measurement by the second sensor upon the displacement of thesecond conveying unit along the rail at the second speed, wherein thesecond vibration measurement is substantially less than or equal to thefirst vibration measurement. In some embodiments, the method furtherincludes providing a third conveying unit movably mounted on the rail,wherein the third conveying unit includes a third housing, a thirdgripping member disposed inside the third housing, a third sensordisposed on the third gripping member and a third unit controllerdisposed on the third gripping member; and displacing the thirdconveying unit along the rail at the second speed. In some embodiments,the second conveying unit and the third conveying unit are in sameconfigurations.

In some embodiments, the method further includes obtaining a secondvibration measurement by the second sensor upon the displacement of thesecond conveying unit along the rail at the second speed; providing athird conveying unit movably mounted on the rail, wherein the thirdconveying unit includes a third housing, a third gripping memberdisposed inside the third housing, a third sensor disposed on the thirdgripping member and a third unit controller disposed on the thirdgripping member; transmitting a second signal based on the analysis ofthe second vibration measurement from the second unit controller to thecentral controller; transmitting a second feedback signal based on thesecond signal from the central controller to the third unit controller;and displacing the third conveying unit along the rail at a third speedbased on the second feedback signal.

In some embodiments, the second vibration measurement is substantiallygreater than a predetermined vibration threshold, and the third speed issubstantially less than the second speed. In some embodiments, thesecond vibration measurement is substantially less than a predeterminedvibration threshold, and the third speed is substantially greater thanthe second speed. In some embodiments, the method further includesobtaining a third vibration measurement by the third sensor upon thedisplacement of the third conveying unit along the rail at the thirdspeed, wherein the third vibration measurement is substantially lessthan or equal to the second vibration measurement and the firstvibration measurement.

In some embodiments, the method includes providing a rail including afirst section and a second section, a first conveying unit movablymounted on the rail and configured to displace along the first sectionat a first predetermined speed and along the second section at a secondpredetermined speed, and a central controller configured to control thefirst conveying unit; deriving a first speed by the central controllerbased on a plurality of parameters associated with the first conveyingunit; displacing the first conveying unit along the first section of therail at the first speed; deriving a second speed by the centralcontroller based on the plurality of parameters associated with thefirst conveying unit; and displacing the first conveying unit along thesecond section of the rail at the second speed, wherein the first speedis derived by increasing or decreasing the first predetermined speed,and the second speed is derived by increasing or decreasing the secondpredetermined speed.

In some embodiments, a top cross section of the first section and a topcross section of the second section have different shapes. In someembodiments, the method further includes providing a second conveyingunit movably mounted on the rail and configured to displace along thefirst section at the first predetermined speed; deriving a third speedby the central controller based on a plurality of second parametersassociated with the second conveying unit; and displacing the secondconveying unit along the first section of the rail at the third speed;wherein the third speed is derived by increasing or decreasing the firstpredetermined speed and is substantially different from the first speed.

In some embodiments, the method further includes obtaining a firstvibration measurement of the first conveying unit upon the displacementof the first conveying unit along the first section of the rail at thefirst speed; obtaining a second vibration measurement of the secondconveying unit upon the displacement of the second conveying unit alongthe first section of the rail at the third speed; wherein the firstvibration measurement and the second vibration measurement aresubstantially less than or equal to a predetermined vibration threshold.

In the present disclosure, a conveying unit is disclosed. The conveyingunit includes a housing; a collision prevention mechanism disposed on asidewall of the housing; a gripping member configured to hold a carrierfor carrying a semiconductor structure; a sensor disposed on thegripping member and configured to measure and collect data associatedwith vibration of the gripping member; and an unit controller disposedon the gripping member and configured to analyze the data from thesensor and control a movement of the conveying unit.

In some embodiments, the gripping member is moveable into and out of thehousing. In some embodiments, the sensor is a vibration meter. In someembodiments, the sensor and the unit controller are disposed inside thehousing. In some embodiments, the housing is movably mountable on anoverhead rail configured to convey the conveying unit along the overheadrail.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

1. A conveying unit, comprising: a housing; a collision preventionmechanism disposed on a sidewall of the housing; a gripping memberconfigured to hold a carrier for carrying a semiconductor structure; asensor disposed on the gripping member and configured to measure andcollect data associated with vibration of the gripping member; and anunit controller disposed on the gripping member and configured toanalyze the data from the sensor and control a movement of the conveyingunit.
 2. The conveying unit of claim 1, wherein the gripping member ismoveable into and out of the housing.
 3. The conveying unit of claim 1,wherein the sensor is a vibration meter.
 4. The conveying unit of claim1, wherein the sensor and the unit controller are disposed inside thehousing.
 5. The conveying unit of claim 1, wherein the housing ismovably mountable on an overhead rail configured to convey the conveyingunit along the overhead rail.
 6. The conveying unit of claim 1, whereinthe collision prevention mechanism includes a shock absorber.
 7. Theconveying unit of claim 1, wherein the vibration measured by the sensoris substantially the same as the vibration experienced by the carrier.8. The conveying unit of claim 1, wherein the unit controller iswirelessly communicable with the sensor.
 9. The conveying unit of claim1, further comprising: a bar is attached to the gripping member and isextendable to bring the gripping member out of the housing andretractable to bring the gripping member back to the housing.
 10. Aconveying system, comprising: a rail; a first conveying unit displacedalong the rail at a first speed, wherein the first conveying unitincludes a first housing, a first gripping member disposed inside thefirst housing, a first sensor disposed on the first gripping member, anda first unit controller disposed on the first gripping member; a firstvibration measurement obtained by the first sensor upon the displacementof the first conveying unit along the rail at the first speed; a centralcontroller configured to control the first conveying unit and analysisthe first vibration measurement; a first signal based on the analysis ofthe first vibration measurement and transmitted from the first unitcontroller to the central controller; a second conveying unit displacedalong the rail at a second speed, wherein the second conveying unitincludes a second housing, a second gripping member disposed inside thesecond housing, a second sensor disposed on the second gripping memberand a second unit controller disposed on the second gripping member; anda first feedback signal based on the first signal and transmitted fromthe central controller to the second unit controller; wherein the secondspeed is based on the first feedback signal.
 11. The conveying system ofclaim 10, wherein when the first vibration measurement is greater than apredetermined vibration threshold, the second speed is less than thefirst speed, and when the first vibration measurement is less than apredetermined vibration threshold, the second speed is greater than thefirst speed.
 12. The conveying system of claim 10, wherein the firstvibration measurement includes magnitudes and frequencies of a vibrationof the first gripping member.
 13. The conveying system of claim 10,wherein the first conveying unit and the second conveying unit aremovably mounted on the rail.
 14. The conveying system of claim 10,further comprising: a second vibration measurement obtained by thesecond sensor upon the displacement of the second conveying unit alongthe rail at the second speed, wherein the second vibration measurementis substantially less than or equal to the first vibration measurement.15. The conveying system of claim 10, further comprising: a thirdconveying unit displaced along the rail at the second speed, wherein thethird conveying unit includes a third housing, a third gripping memberdisposed inside the third housing, a third sensor disposed on the thirdgripping member and a third unit controller disposed on the thirdgripping member.
 16. The conveying system of claim 15, wherein thesecond conveying unit and the third conveying unit are in sameconfigurations.
 17. A conveying system, comprising: a rail including afirst section and a second section; a first conveying unit movablymounted on the rail and configured to displace along the first sectionat a first predetermined speed and along the second section at a secondpredetermined speed; a central controller configured to control thefirst conveying unit; a first speed configured to displace the firstconveying unit along the first section of the rail at the first speed,wherein the first speed is derived by increasing or decreasing the firstpredetermined speed based on a plurality of parameters associated withthe first conveying unit and the first section of the rail; a firstvibration measurement of the first conveying unit upon the displacementof the first conveying unit along the first section of the rail at thefirst speed; a second speed configured to displace the first conveyingunit along the second section of the rail at the second speed, whereinthe second speed is derived by increasing or decreasing the secondpredetermined speed based on the plurality of parameters associated withthe first conveying unit and the second section of the rail; a secondvibration measurement of the first conveying unit upon the displacementof the first conveying unit along the second section of the rail at thesecond speed; wherein the first vibration measurement and the secondvibration measurement are substantially less than or equal to apredetermined vibration threshold.
 18. The conveying system of claim 17,wherein a top cross section of the first section and a top cross sectionof the second section have different shapes.
 19. The conveying system ofclaim 17, further comprising: a second conveying unit movably mounted onthe rail and configured to displace along the first section at the firstpredetermined speed; and a third speed configured to displace the secondconveying unit along the first section of the rail at the third speed,wherein the third speed is derived by the increasing or decreasing thefirst predetermined speed based on a plurality of second parametersassociated with the second conveying unit; wherein the third speed issubstantially different from the first speed.
 20. The conveying systemof claim 19, further comprising: a third vibration measurement of thesecond conveying unit upon the displacement of the second conveying unitalong the first section of the rail at the third speed; wherein thethird vibration measurement and the second vibration measurement are issubstantially less than or equal to the predetermined vibrationthreshold.